Here's my contribution to "When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted..." or 
whatever we are calling this - 
  
***** 
  
Part 8 ended with: 
  
"You heard the important stuff," Natalie shook her head, ignoring his tone. 
"So no, not really. Based on her description...Nick, what you think did 
this?" she asked, blue eyes worried. 
  
Now -- Part 9: 
  
Nick sighed. He leaned forward, placing the palms of his hands on the top of 
the examining table. He knew the hard metal surface should be cold, but he 
couldn't feel it. It could have been scalding hot for all he knew and he 
wouldn't have been able to feel that either. He was standing here, looking 
and feeling like a normal human being, but he wasn't. He couldn't feel what 
mortal humans took for granted. He had been human and normal and all of 
those things once, but he asked himself, what was he now? He was what real 
normal human beings would call a monster. That didn't make what he had to 
tell Natalie any easier but at least it made a little more sense in his 
mind. 
  
He looked up now and focused on his beloved Natalie's beautiful face. "Do 
you believe in monsters, Nat?" he asked, his voice soft and serious. 
  
"What?" Natalie took a step closer and smirked. "You mean like something out 
of a horror movie? Monsters aren't real, Nick." 
  
"I'm a monster." 
  
"Nonononono. You are NOT a monster." 
  
Nick straightened up and walked around the other side of the examining table 
until he was only a foot away from Natalie. "Then what would you call an 
800-year old creature who can fly and drinks human blood sucked out of the 
neck of a helpless mortal? What name would you give a creature like that?" 
  
Natalie swallowed and shook her head. "I...I...A vampire." 
  
"A monster. Nat, face it. I'm a monster." 
  
"No, you're the man I love. You're just ... peculiar." 
  
"Uh huh. Well, I'm a monster and I'm telling you this for a reason. Just as 
I and Janette and LaCroix are monsters..." 
  
"Okay," Natalie interrupted, "I'll agree with you on the LaCroix is a 
monster part, go on." 
  
Nick smiled and then quickly became serious again. "Just as we are monsters, 
there is another monster out there." Nick pointed to the door that led 
outside. "Only this monster is above and beyond anything you have ever dealt 
with before. This creature is so dangerous; it almost killed a 1,000 year 
old vampire tonight. Had LaCroix and I not been able to get to Janette or 
had you not been here to remove the stake, Janette would be dead tonight. It 
takes a hell of a lot to sneak up on a vampire as old as Janette is, Nat. 
But this creature did it and Janette can't even remember what it looks 
like." Nick could feel his anger over nearly losing Janette swelling up 
inside of him. 
  
"How do we stop it?" Natalie took a step forward until she was almost 
standing against Nick's chest. She placed her hands gently on his crossed 
arms. "What do we do?" 
  
"I don't know, Nat. I'm going to need to talk to LaCroix. If anyone would 
know what this monster is, it would be him. He's lived longer than any of 
us. He must have come across something like this before." 
  
Natalie took a deep breath. She knew what she had to say next was going to 
hurt but she loved Nick too much to not be honest with him. "Nick, it was 
clear tonight how frightened you were that you almost lost Janette. I know 
the two of you have been closer lately in you have in many years. I would 
understand if you wanted to stay with her now with her being weak from her 
attack and all. I'm willing to step back and...." 
  
Nick stopped Natalie in mid-sentence was a kiss. He pressed his lips against 
hers, circling her in his strong arms and holding her tightly against his 
chest. "Don't talk like that, Nat. I've known Janette forever but the love I 
feel for you is stronger than anything else I have ever known. I never 
thought I could feel the way I do when I'm with you. I worry about Janette 
because we have this bond that will never be broken, but my heart - as cold 
and still as it may be - belongs to you." 
  
"Thank you. I feel the same way." Natalie smiled and then pulled away. If 
she hadn't, she'd be content to stay in his arms forever and that wouldn't 
be good. After all, there were places to go and people to dissect. Then a 
thought hit her. "Nick, do you think this monster that attacked Janette is 
the same creature who attacked the three people behind the Raven earlier 
tonight?" 
  
Nick thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. If it is, then it seems to have a 
mind to rationalize which means to an end are best for killing what. For 
example, it drained the blood from the humans, it didn't stake them. But it 
staked Janette, not try to drain her. So if it is one creature responsible 
for all of this, it doesn't seem to stalking any one thing in particular. 
It's quite a mystery. I'd say a person was doing this, but Janette insists 
it was something and not someone that attacker her. And I have to agree. I 
can't imagine a typical human being able to sneak up on Janette without her 
sensing it and seeing it coming." 
  
"Well, you'd better get out there and catch this thing, Nick. Before more 
innocent people die." 
  
"You know Nat, I'd feel a lot better if you didn't go anywhere alone. I 
don't know what this thing's MO is yet but I don't feel you're really safe 
in this area out there on your own." 
  
"I'll be careful. I promise." 
  
"You'd better. I certainly don't feel like losing you now. So one more kiss 
for the road?" 
  
Natalie laughed. "How can I say no?" She raised her head and sighed as 
Nick's lips met hers. 
  
"Man oh man. You two need to start hanging up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign!" 
  
Nick and Natalie both jumped backwards simultaneously. Natalie's hand flew 
to her lips and she could feel herself blushing. Nick just cleared his 
throat and said, "I was just on my way to find you." 
  
Schanke smirked, "Yeah, I'm so sure you were. Well, come on! We have a 
lunatic to catch. You two can make out later." 
  
"Be careful boys. And Nick, don't forget to ask you-know-who if he has ever 
run into something like you-know-what before," Natalie reminded him, 
gesturing for him to hurry up and leave. 
  
But before Nick could reply, the almost deafening sound of a metal door 
being ripped off of its hinges and flung into another metal object filled 
the room. 
  
Natalie jumped at the noise. "What was that?" 
  
"What the hell...?" Schanke exclaimed. "It came from down the hall!" 
  
Just then, they heard the screaming. Someone at the far end of the hall was 
screaming in the high-pitched blood-curdling way a person does when met with 
unspeakable evil and imminent death. 
  
Nick's first reaction was to hurry to the dying man down the hall, but that 
was impossible. Whatever had just killed him was probably the monster that 
staked Janette - and it was not only in the building but heading right 
towards the room where Nick, Natalie, and Schanke were standing. 
  
As Schanke, who was nearest the door leading to the hallway, pulled out his 
gun, Natalie reached over and grabbed Nick's arm and exclaimed, "Oh my God, 
Nick. It's coming this way. What do we do?" 
  
Okay - who has part 10? 
  
                    *** Debra Ann ***